Flush valve unit



P 1954 R. J. LIMBERT 2,688,753

FLUSH VALVE UNIT Filed Sept. 12, 1952 I INVENTOR.

BY 2 Q Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH VALVE UNIT Rollin J. Limbert, Norristown, Pa.

Application September 12, 1952, Serial No. 309,195

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a flush valve for toilet tanks.

The invention is more particularly concerned with a flush valve unit including a ball flexibly supported by a guide rod for universal movement relative thereto and which unit is adapted as a replacement for the usual bulb type valves now in use without any changes in the usual tank structure.

As is generally known, the bulb type flush valves now in use have a rigid connection with the lower end of a rod having vertical guiding movement in a guide bracket usually supported by a vertical overflow pipe within the toilet tank and the upper end of the rod has a lost motion connection with the lower end of a second rod while the upper end is pivotally connected to a lift arm operable by a hand lever disposed on the outer wall of the tank.

While such form of bulb valve has been generally satisfactory, same has in many instances proven faulty in operation, due to the fact that the bulb has a single valve seat engaging annular portion and the bulb has failed to properly seat when the guide rod by chance becomes angularly disposed relative to the vertical.

While this objection to the usual bulb type flush valve has heretofore been recognized and. attempts have been made to overcome same by constructions whereby a ball has a universal movement relative to the vertically movable ball lifting means, such constructions were such that they were not readily substitutable as a unit for the existing bulb type valve.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a unitary ball-type valve including a guide rod and a ball connected to the guide rod for universal movement relative thereto and which unit is readily replaceable for the existing bulb and its supporting guide rod, without the exercise of mechanical skill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball-type valve unit including a guide rod having one end thereof rigid with a ball shield having a downwardly facing generally spherical concave surface, and a ball suspended from the base of the shield by flexible means normally coaxial with the rod.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the improved valve unit with the shield and a portion of the ball in diametrical section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the lower end portion of the usual form of overflow pipe and guide bracket and showing the improved ball valve unit operatively associated therewith as a substitute for the usual bulb valve having a guide rod rigidly connected thereto.

Fig. 4 is a diametrical sectional view of cooperating elements molded or swedged in the base of the shield and which are respectively secured to the guide rod and the ball.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the assembled elements of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, and referring first to Fig. 3, P designates a standard form overflow pipe whose lower end is in communication through a fitting F with an outlet 0.

The outlet is adapted for receiving the upper end of a water discharge pipe and is provided with a valve seat S, all as in standard practice.

Furthermore, in keeping with standard prac tice, a guide bracket B is secured to the overflow pipe P at a point substantially above the seat S for guiding the usual bulb supporting rod whose upper end has a lost motion connecting with a lift rod R whose upper end is pivotally connected to the lift arm A by the usual hand operable lever on the outer wall of the tank.

The improved ball valve unit in accordance with the present invention comprises a shield [0 which is preferably constructed of rubber or the like material and is of substantially the form of the upper portion of the usual ball valve. The shield is in other terms generally bell shaped and includes a hub II and a depending skirt l2 having an inner wall substantially of the curvature of the ball about to be described.

A metallic fitting I3 is molded or swedged into the hub H and such fitting comprises an upper element It and a lower element I5. The upper element [4 includes an elongated body [6 and an end flange IT. The body I 6 is generally cylindrical but has its lower end tapered as indicated at [8 and the body is provided with a threaded aperture It for removably receiving the lower threaded end of a guide rod 20, which is provided with an eye 20' at its upper end.

The lower element l5 includes a tubular body 2! having a closed lower end and a flange 22 at said lower end. The lower wall of element [5 is provided with a central aperture 23 in which is swivelly supported the shank of an eye member 24 and the shank is provided with an enlarged inner end as at 25 for retaining the shank in 3 the aperture. The upper element [4 is pressure fitted into the lower element IS with the flange I! spaced from the upper end of the tubular body 2| providing a circumferential recess 26.

As before stated, the fitting is molded or swedged into the hub H of the shield and in the molded structure a circumferential flange 2! on the shield hub occupies the recess 26 and there by retains the fitting in position.

A chain 28 has its uppermost link engaged in the eye member 24 and the lowermost link extends through an aperture 29 in a lug 30 projecting from a small flattened external surface 3 i on a ball ill which is preferably constructed of rubber or the like material which forms the valve proper and is preferably hollow as is indicated in Fig. 1. As is readily observable from Fig. 3, the improved ball valve is readily interchangeable for the usual ball valve which is rigidly supported by the lower end of a guide rod similar to the present guide rod 29- but of somewhat greater length.

In order to replace the usual bulb-type valve, the guide rod therefor is turned out and the rod and bulb are removed. The present ball valve is then placed in position over the seat S whereupon the guide rod 20 is turned into the threaded aperture [9 after same has, been lowered through the eye inthe lift rod R, and through the guide bracket B.

In use, with the ball 31' resting on the seat S, the chain 28 is slack and the skirt 12 of the shield ll) is disposed from to A," above the ball.

In a flushing operation, the lift arm A is raised which through the lift rod R raises the guide rod 20 and therewith the shield it, which after taking up the slack in chain 28 raises the ball 3! oil the seat S.

As the water level in the tank recedes the ball 3| together with the shield [0 will descend and regardless of any downward movement of the guide rod out of vertical line, the spherical ball 4 3|, due to its flexible chain connection with the shield, will accurately engage the seat S.

Furthermore, the shield even in the taut condition of the chain 28 is substantially close to the ball and accordingly acts to keep the ball within its intended range of movement.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A flush valve unit for use in a flush tank having a water outlet valve seat at the base of an overflow pipe, and a rod guide bracket supported by the pipe; comprising a vertically disposed guide rod for guiding support in said bracket, a shield including a central hub and an outwardly flared skirt depending therefrom, a fitting immovably supported in said hub and having a threaded aperture opening through the upper end thereof and into which thelower end of said guide rod is threaded, an eye member having swivel connection with the lower end of said fitting in the axis of said threaded aperture, a flexible member having the upper end thereof connected to said eye member, and a spherical valve connected to the lower end of said flexible member for cooperation with said valve seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 369,843 Douglas- Sept. 13, 1837 1,214,020 Douglas Jan. 30, 1917 1,349,267 Craig Aug. 10, 1920 1,905,499 Podolsky Apr. 25, 1933 2,175,973 Reed Oct. 10, 1939 2,239,923 May Apr. 29, 1941 2,475,681 Stentz July 12, 1949 2,589,265 Langdon Mar. 18, 1952 

